MENU MUST-HAVES MONEY MOVES MEETING THE MOMENT FOOD FANATICS TAKE THAT Limited Time Only 2.O EARTH MATTERS Umami is the punch menus welcome, Make bank with smarter LTO, Restaurateurs on climate change, page 12 page 51 page 65 SLIM CHICKENS SLIM FALL 2021 FALL CHICKENS WING STAND-INS STEP UP ON THE COVER When chicken wings are in short supply, FALL 2021 boneless alternatives can stand in. Add some thrill Sharing the Love of Food—Inspiring Business Success See page 30. MENU MUST-HAVES MONEY MOVES to your bar & grill. PILE IT ON THE SMARTER WAY TO LTO From sports bars to chef-driven concepts, Make bank with aggressive limited- over-the-top dishes score. time- only options. 5 51 ™ ® SIDEWINDERS Fries Junior Cut Featuring Conquest Brand Batter TAKE THAT THE POWER OF TWO Umami is the punch that diners welcome. Get an edge by pairing up with a brand. 12 54 KNEAD-TO-KNOW PIZZA FLEX YOUR MENU MUSCLE Light clear coat batter Innovation in dough and toppings rise Strategic pricing can benefit the lets the potato flavor when there’s time on your hands. bottom line. shine through 22 58 CHANGE IT UP ON THE FLY 5 ways to step up your SEO. How boneless wings can take off when 61 Unique shape for wings are grounded. Instagram-worthy 30 presentations MEETING THE PLENTY TO BEER MOMENT Complex flavors demand suds that can stand up and complement. EARTH MATTERS 40 Restaurateurs respond to the menu’s role in climate change. TREND TRACKER 65 Thicker cut and clear Homing in on what’s coming and going. HEED THIS coat batter extend 44 Counsel from an in-the-trenches pro. hold time beyond 69 conventional fries SUPER PRO CONDIMENTS They can take on any menu challenge. 46 BY THE NUMBERS Crispy chicken sandwiches that count. 72 Top them. Dip them. Share them. Great on the side or as an appetizer A fun-sized twist exclusively from Simplot ©2021 J.R. Simplot Company J.R. ©2021 USFoods.com/foodfanatics | FOOD FANATICS 1 Request a FREE sample and see recipes at potatoes | avocados | fruits | vegetables | grains www.simplotfoods.com A SEASON OF CHANGE NEED HELP? Welcome to the fall edition of Food Fanatics® magazine! USFoods.com/foodfanatics The restaurant boom is here, but many of us are enduring a new WE’RE HERE TO BACK YOU UP set of unique challenges as business returns. Many foodservice US FOODS ADVISORY BOARD President and Chief Executive Officer operators are short on staff, in high diner demand and experiencing Schedule a free consultation with our best-in-class Pietro Satriano Chief Commercial Officer nationwide supply challenges. Flexibility is key right now, so we hope support team who can help you with every aspect Andrew Iacobucci this book helps you build a menu that’s low on labor and big of your operations – from navigating the ins and Senior Vice President, Marketing Diane Hund on flavor. outs of the Restaurant Revitalization fund to menu Vice President, Creative Jovo Balach planning, P&L strategy, takeout and delivery, Manager, Content Marketing The Menu Must Haves section is up first, because managing your and more! Jasmine Jones CONTRIBUTORS menu has never been more important. Sports bars are poised for an David Eschler Visit usfoods.com/getsupport Liz Howe epic comeback this football season, and you’ll find many Tom Quiery Lance Reynolds bar-and-grill-centric recipes and tips, but there is something here Frankie Ruiz for everyone. The cover story, on page 30, is all about wings and what to do if PUBLISHING PARTNER they are hard to come by this fall. Find out what’s trending, and wow Content Chief Feedback Laura Yee We welcome your comments. diners with something new and shortage-proof. Contact Food Fanatics at: Creative Director [email protected] Joline Rivera Contact Bite This Media at: The Money Moves section has two stories to help you adapt on the Contributing Editor [email protected] Sophie Lee Unless otherwise specified, all fly. The first, ‘The Smarter Way to LTO,’ shows you how to treat your Contributing Writers correspondence sent to Food Kate Bernot Fanatics is assumed for publication regular menu like a limited time offer, as national supply shortages Kristin Eddy and becomes the copyright property Peter Ganovsky of US Foods. Amber Gibson continue to impact our industry. The second, ‘Flex Your Menu Diana Hubbell Advertising Information Sophie Lee For rates and a media kit, contact Jacqueline Raposo Jasmine Jones, (847) 720-2578 or Muscle,’ helps you understand the impact of inflation on your bottom email [email protected]. Copy Editor Food Fanatics is the go-to source line and shows you how to adopt a flexible pricing model. On page Natalie Jew for the foodservice industry and anyone truly passionate about Cover Photography food, food people and improving 69, our US Foods® Restaurant Operations Consultant leader, Lance Matt Armendariz the bottom line. Issued quarterly and hand-delivered to readers, the Reynolds, shares lessons he learned from the pandemic and tips to Photographers magazine is a US Foods publication Matt Armendariz produced by Bite This Media. Sean T. McGill create a successful ops strategy in 2022. For more information on the Food Stylist Food Fanatics program, visit Adam Pearson USFoods.com/foodfanatics. All rights reserved. © Prop Stylist Best wishes for a successful fall season. Stephanie Hanes Thanks for reading, About US Foods US Foods is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 300,000 chefs, restaurateurs and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With nearly 28,000 employees and more than 70 locations, US Foods provides its customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology and business solutions. US Foods is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois, and generates approximately $28 billion in annual EXCLUSIVErevenue. Visit usfoods.com to learn more. Andrew Iacobucci EXCLUSIVE9300 W. Higgins Rd. Suite 500 Chief Commercial Officer, US Foods Rosemont, IL 60018 (847) 720-8000 BRANDusfoods.com Surf (lobster) meets turf (steak) for an outrageous take on the iconic cheese steak sub. LOBSTER PILE IT ON From sports bars to fast casuals, over- the-top dishes score big CHEESE By Kristin Eddy Photography by Matt Armendariz Food styling by Adam Pearson Prop styling by Stephanie Hanes STEAK USFoods.com/foodfanatics | FOOD FANATICS 5 To grab a diner’s CHEESY, SAUCY YUM MORE IS BETTER attention, more is better, Chowder Frots feature Cajun fries Porterhouse steak from Clark’s Farm in especially when you’re catering to and tater tots smothered with chunky Howard County, Maryland, is topped with a crowd of fun-loving sports fans or housemade clam chowder, melted caramelized shallots, artichoke hearts, FURIKAKE SHALLOTS tables joyful that they’re gathering in cheddar cheese, bacon bits, red onion and chunky garlic, Asher Blue cheese, honey HONEY person. Compelling ingredient and diced tomatoes, $12. and furikake. flavor combinations can be found in ❱ Creator: Chef and co-founder Johnny ❱ Creator: Edward Lee, chef-owner of 610 bowls, burgers, and anything in a bun, Nguyen at The Dive Steam Kettle Cooking, Magnolia and other restaurants, Louisville, as long as it stacks up and sticks out. Temple City, California Kentucky Whether portions are breaking big or the ❱ Inspiration: “We had an item like this that ❱ Inspiration: “I love the classic blue cheese inspiration was a fever dream (or both), was only using french fries, but I really like and steak pairing but wanted a little more nothing is dainty. tater tots, so we mashed this whole thing adventure. Everything is cut chunky so that Over-the-top dishes are eye-catching, in and the flavor profile was ridiculous.” each bite is a little bit different and makes often outrageous, fun and always give ❱ Popular among: “Our demographic is you keep coming back for more,” Lee says ARTICHOKES guests something to talk about. They really diverse, so we have all ages and on his Instagram post. transcend concepts, working just as ethnicities, but this is a hit across the ❱ Popular among: Lee created the dish for a well in sports bars as they do in fine board,” Nguyen says. client, but if the 1,996 likes are any indication, dining. When everything and everyone is ❱ Money maker or loss leader? Money maker. the dish would be a hit at the restaurant. competing for your customers’ attention, they’re needed more than ever. Check out these examples: Porterhouse Steak, Caramelized Shallots, Chunky Garlic, Blue OVER-THE-TOP Cheese, Honey and Furikake Inspired by Chef/owner Edward Lee DISHES ARE 610 Magnolia, Louisville, Kentucky EYE-CATCHING, 3 tablespoons olive oil OFTEN ½ pound shallots, sliced thick BLUE CHEESE OUTRAGEOUS, 1 porterhouse steak Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper FUN AND 4 ounces blue cheese ALWAYS 1 head garlic, roasted 2 artichoke hearts, roasted and sliced GIVE GUESTS Furikake, for sprinkling SOMETHING TO Honey, for drizzling CHEESE TALK ABOUT. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and slowly cook shallots until caramelized; STEAK FRIES set aside. CHOWDER In a cast-iron skillet, heat remaining oil over high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper and sear. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak, turn and cook until TOTS desired doneness is almost reached. Top generously with blue cheese, shallots, some garlic cloves (keep in tact) and artichokes; cover and remove from heat. Allow to rest for 2 minutes while the cheese melts and the ingredients meld. Sprinkle with furikake and drizzle with honey. Makes 1 serving. PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAPPY HOURS GROUP 6 FOOD FANATICS / FALL 2021 USFoods.com/foodfanatics | FOOD FANATICS 7 OCTOPUS KIMCHI SLAW MAKE IT WEIRD PILE ON THE MEAT The Tentacle Dog showcases octopus A biscuit unites Southern fried chicken, with sauerkraut, fish roe, sliced apple and a burger patty, ham, turkey, pulled pork, mustard, $15.